The 65,000-square-foot facility services nearly 5,000 families in a city with one of the largest Arab-Muslim populations in the U.S. This site has only been open since 2005, but the Islamic Center of America has been serving America's Muslims since 1962.

Guests often are impressed with the mosque's beauty, but what they are most awed by is the center's openness, said Kassem Allie, the center's executive administrator.

"What people are kind of surprised about is we are so open to visitation and dialogue and collaboration," he said. "I think they think we're a closed organization. ... They find out who we are and the fact that we have an open house."

The Islamic Center of America is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to about 11 p.m. daily and free tours of the facility can be scheduled on its website.

Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, Fla.

Memorial Presbyterian Church may be beautiful, but it's the story behind the building that often touches visitors the most.

The church is dedicated to Jenny Louise Benedict, the daughter of tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler, who built the church in 1889. Flagler had always had a special place for St. Augustine in his heart, investing heavily in the city after visiting with his first wife, Mary. And when his beloved daughter died after complications from childbirth, Flagler knew the Presbyterian church he was planning to build in town would be erected in her honor.

Flagler, along with Mary, Jenny Louise and his granddaughter, Marjorie, are all entombed at the church.

The structure's detailed design draws influence from the churches of Europe, including Venice's St. Mark's Basilica. It features wood-carved walls, stained-glass windows, a peaceful sanctuary and a prominent dome that inspires guests to lift their eyes toward the heavens.

"People walk in, and they see a little piece of Europe," church historian Jay Smith said. "I wouldn't say it rivals the European cathedrals, but it has its own unique beauty and majesty, and people are very surprised by that."

Smith said people must remember to appreciate the rich history of Memorial Presbyterian Church and the city that surrounds it. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the longest continually inhabited city founded by Europeans in the U.S.

Memorial Presbyterian Church is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and tours of the building are conducted on weekdays.

Temple Emanu-El in New York City

With a sanctuary that stands 103 feet tall, 100 feet wide and 175 feet long and seating for 2,500 people, New York's Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest Jewish temples in the world.

Inside, Temple Emanu-El is full of color. The ceiling is painted and gilded, its arches are lined with mosaics of glass and marble, and there are more than 60 stained glass windows. The temple is also home to a museum that houses artifacts important in Jewish history.

Completed in 1929, Temple Emanu-El's 5th Avenue and 65th Street location is the fifth home for its congregation, whose members have been worshiping in New York since 1845.

Mark Heutlinger, administrator of the Emanu-El congregation, said the temple and its members are an important fixture "on the greatest street in the greatest land in the greatest city of religious freedom."

"We are a part and parcel of the mosaic society of New York --- the quilt of cultures that represents New York City," Heutlinger said.

Admission to Temple Emanu-El is free, and it is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Palace of Gold in Moundsville, W. Va.